48 × 36 pallet: dimensions, weight and specs
A 48 × 36 in pallet (1219 × 914 mm) is a North American size used for beverages, roofing shingles and packaged paper. It is usually a 3-stringer wood pallet with 36 in deckboards, about 4.75 in tall and roughly 27 to 56 lb.
- Type
- Wood stringer
- Footprint
- 48.00 × 36.00 in
- Height
- 4.75 in
- Lumber
- 12.6 bd ft
- Est. weight
- 55 lb (25 kg)
- Fasteners
- 84
Every dimension is editable. Get the drawing free, or request a quote.
Dimensions
| Inches | 48 × 36 in |
|---|---|
| Millimetres | 1219 × 914 mm |
| Centimetres | 121.9 × 91.4 cm |
| Feet | 4 × 3 ft |
| Footprint area | 12.00 sq ft (1.115 m²) |
Pallets per floor (single stacked)
| Equipment | Straight | Turned | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53 ft dry van | 26 | 34 | 34 |
| 48 ft dry van | 22 | 30 | 30 |
| 26 ft box truck | 12 | 16 | 16 |
| 20 ft container | 8 | 6 | 10 |
| 40 ft container | 18 | 13 | 22 |
| 45 ft high cube | 22 | 14 | 25 |
Straight = length along the trailer. Floor positions only, with no gaps for load bars or overhang. Weight often limits first. Open the calculator
The 48 × 36 in pallet (1219 × 914 mm) is a North American size used mainly for beverages, roofing shingles and packaged paper. It keeps the 48 in stringer of the 48 × 40 with a narrower 36 in deck. Industry lists usually rank it tenth among North American sizes.
What are the dimensions of a 48 × 36 pallet?
A 48 × 36 pallet is 48 in (1219 mm) long and 36 in (914 mm) wide: 48 in stringers and 36 in deckboards. Overall height is usually about 4.75 to 5 in (121 to 127 mm).
Typical build at 48 × 36
| Component | Typical spec |
|---|---|
| Top deckboards | 7 boards: 2 × 5-1/2 in + 5 × 3-1/2 in, 5/8 in thick, 36 in long |
| Bottom deckboards | 5 boards |
| Stringers | 3 × 1-3/8 × 3-1/2 × 48 in, notched for partial 4-way entry |
| Overall height | 4.75 in |
Shingle and paper loads are dense and heavy for their footprint, so these pallets often use more or thicker top boards to spread the load. Building-products pallets are frequently one-way (single-use) and built to a price. Start from the GMA template and set the width to 36 in in the designer.
How much does a 48 × 36 pallet weigh?
The build above uses about 12.6 board feet. Estimated weight is about 27 lb (12 kg) in dry softwood, 36 lb (16 kg) in kiln-dried hardwood and up to about 56 lb (25 kg) in green hardwood. See pallet weight.
How much weight can a 48 × 36 pallet hold?
It depends on the design and the support condition. The 36 in deckboards span less between stringers than on a 48 × 40, which helps with dense loads. A pallet of shingle bundles can weigh several thousand pounds, so give the supplier the actual load weight and how the pallets are stacked, and get a rating from the manufacturer based on a PDS analysis or ASTM D1185 testing. See pallet load capacity and shingles per pallet.
Who uses 48 × 36 pallets?
- Roofing and building materials: shingle bundles. See building materials.
- Paper: reams and packaged paper. See paper and packaging.
- Beverage: some case loads. See beverage.
Fit in trucks and containers
Loaded straight, 48 × 36 pallets fit two across (72 in) and 13 deep in a 53 ft trailer, 26 positions. Turned, two 48 in sides fill 96 in across and the 36 in rows fit 17 deep, 34 positions. The table above lists all cases. With heavy products the legal payload usually limits the load before floor space does. Check with the pallets per truck calculator.
Related sizes
- 48 × 40: the GMA standard.
- 36 × 36: the small square.
- 48 × 20: the half pallet.
- 1200 × 800: the Euro pallet, a similar long-and-narrow shape (47.2 × 31.5 in).
Specifying a 48 × 36 pallet for a quote
- Size with stringer length first: 48 × 36.
- Deckboards: count, widths and thickness, top and bottom.
- Stringers: count, size and notch spec.
- Species, moisture, new or recycled.
- Load weight, product type, stacking height, racking.
- Single-use or reusable.
- ISPM 15 if exported.
See the RFQ checklist.
Frequently asked questions
What is a 48x36 pallet used for?
Beverage cases, bundles of roofing shingles and packaged paper are the classic uses. The narrower 36 in width suits products that are sized around it.
How much does a 48x36 pallet weigh?
A 3-stringer build with 7 top and 5 bottom boards uses about 12.6 board feet, roughly 27 lb in dry softwood up to about 56 lb in green hardwood (estimates).
How many 48x36 pallets fit in a 53 ft trailer?
Loaded straight, two across and 13 deep gives 26 positions. Turned, two 48 in sides fill 96 in across and 36 in rows fit 17 deep, for 34 positions. Heavy loads such as shingles usually hit the weight limit first.
Sources and references
Related
- SizesUS pallet sizes: the standard North American dimensionsThe standard US pallet is 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm), the GMA pallet, used for grocery, retail and most general freight. Other common North American sizes are 42 × 42, 48 × 48, 48 × 42, 40 × 40, 48 × 45, 44 × 44, 36 × 36 and 48 × 36 in, each tied to particular industries.
- Sizes48 × 40 pallet (GMA): dimensions, weight and specsA 48 × 40 in pallet (1219 × 1016 mm) is the North American standard, also called the GMA pallet. The typical build is a partial 4-way stringer pallet about 4.75 in tall with 7 top and 5 bottom deckboards on 3 notched stringers. Pooled 48 × 40 block pallets (CHEP, PECO) share the same footprint.
- Sizes36 × 36 pallet: dimensions, weight and specsA 36 × 36 in pallet (914 × 914 mm) is a small square North American pallet used mainly in beverage distribution and for compact loads. A typical build has 5 top and 3 bottom deckboards on 3 stringers, about 4.75 in tall, and weighs roughly 20 to 41 lb.
- IndustriesPallets for building materials: bags, block, brick, pavers and roofingBuilding materials put the heaviest loads on ordinary pallets: bagged concrete, block, pavers and shingles often exceed 3,000 lb. The industry uses heavy-duty wood pallets, winged pallets for bags and product-specific bases for brick and drywall, stored outdoors and often returned for a deposit.
- IndustriesPallets for paper, corrugated and packaging productsPaper and packaging need flat, dry pallets with high deck coverage, because sheets and blanks take the shape of the deck and absorb moisture. Box and print plants often buy custom sizes per product. Rolls ship on end or in cradles for clamp trucks, and some light loads ship on slip sheets.
- What fits on a palletHow many bundles of shingles are on a pallet?A pallet of asphalt roofing shingles typically holds 36 to 56 bundles. At 3 bundles per square (100 sq ft) that is 12 to about 18.7 squares. Architectural shingle pallets commonly weigh roughly 2,400–4,500 lb, so they are usually delivered by boom truck straight to the roof.
More in North American sizes
- Sizes42 × 42 pallet: dimensions, weight and specsA 42 × 42 in pallet (1067 × 1067 mm) is a square pallet used mainly for paint and coatings, telecom equipment and chemicals. It is one of the six ISO 6780 footprints. The usual build is a 3-stringer wood pallet about 4.75 to 5 in tall.
- Sizes48 × 48 pallet (drum pallet): dimensions, weight and specsA 48 × 48 in pallet (1219 × 1219 mm) is the standard drum pallet. It holds four 55-gallon drums in a 2 × 2 pattern and is also common for bulk bags and totes. Typical builds use 4 stringers and 3/4 in top decks, and weigh roughly 45 to 90 lb.
- Sizes48 × 42 pallet: dimensions, weight and specsA 48 × 42 in pallet (1219 × 1067 mm) is a North American size used mainly for chemicals and beverages. It is built like a GMA pallet with 42 in deckboards: typically 3 notched stringers, 7 top and 5 bottom boards, about 4.75 to 5 in tall.
- Sizes40 × 40 pallet: dimensions, weight and specsA 40 × 40 in pallet (1016 × 1016 mm) is a square North American size associated with the dairy industry. It is usually a 3-stringer wood pallet about 4.75 in tall, weighing roughly 27 to 56 lb depending on species and moisture.
- Sizes48 × 45 pallet: dimensions, weight and specsA 48 × 45 in pallet (1219 × 1143 mm) is the North American automotive size, used for parts shipments and returnable containers. Wood versions are built like a GMA pallet with 45 in deckboards; plastic 48 × 45 pallets are common in closed automotive loops.
- Sizes44 × 44 pallet: dimensions, weight and specsA 44 × 44 in pallet (1118 × 1118 mm) is a square North American size used for drums, bulk bags (FIBCs) and chemicals. It fits two across an ISO shipping container, which a 48 × 48 does not. Typical wood builds are 3 or 4 stringers, about 4.75 to 5 in tall.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 562 words.